Boat-propelling device



Patented Aug. 25., 1925.

- UNITED STAT JOHN BAKER, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 'l BOAT-PROPELLING DEVICE.v

Application filedk January 6, 192,5. Serial No. 866.y v-

of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boat-Propelling Devices, of which the following is a specification. f

The present invention relates to a device for propelling smallboats, and 'aims to pro- Vide a novel and improved device having paddle wheels arranged adjacent the water line on the boat, said paddle wheels having f levers positioned inl the vboat operatively connected thereto for rotating the same. l v

Another object of the invention is to provide a pair of paddle Wheelsonearranged oneach side of the boat approximately midway of thelength thereof, each of said paddle wheels being adapted to be operated by separate levers pivotallyr connected to the boat, so that said paddle wheels-can be jointly or independently operated in order to properly steer theboat by the operation of the paddlevwheels. f

A further obfect of the invention is to provide relatively small paddle wheels rotatably mounted onthe sides of the boat at the watery line thereof, said paddle/wheels having sprocket and chain mechanismarranged on the outside of the boat and -exf tending downwardly from the gunwale thereof for Voperating the same, such structure providing a light and compact device whereby the weight thereof will not effectv the amount of power necessary to propel the boat. Y

It is also an object of the inventionl to provide a device of the ykind indicated, which is simple and substantial in construction, which can be manufactured economi-.`

cally, and which will be thoroughly eilicient and practical in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, it be'- ing understood that changes can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the inven-V lshafts 15 extendingy through the 8 ofthe boat. .The-.shafts-l arerotatably showing my improved. device applied there;V

lFigure'2 isa section on line 2-2 of'ligure l, and w Figure 3 is a section takenon line 3-3 of'higure 1. A I o, s f -v Referring to the drawings,.the numeral 5 indicates a boat having a bow 6, stern'?,

gunwales 8,floor 9, and rear seat rl0. In carrying outv my invention, .thenumeral l1V designates a pair of levers pivotallyconvnected at their lower ends, as at 12, to the floor 9 of the boat.' Pivotallyconnected to eachfof said levers midway ,of their length, are the rear ends of connecting links 13, which have their forwardl ends ,pivotally connected" to the outer ends of crank arms 14:y secured to and arrangedfor rotating the guiiwales supported at their outer Vends by4 metallic bearings 1 6 arrangedy in lthe gunwales 8 and at their inner ends by brackets 17 through which said yshafts extend, said brackets having depending arms 18 lati-v tached tothe inner sides of the side walls of the boat. i

On the'outer ends of the .shafts 15 and on the outside `of theY boat are secured'large sprocket gears 19 connectedtosmall sproc-r ket gears 20V by. sprocket chains'21. The small sprockets 2O are rigidly carried by rotatableshafts 22 arranged slightly forwardof the large'. sprocketsand adjacent the water line of the boat, .In ordery tosupport the shafts 22 elongated curved plates 23`are attached to the outer sides of the boat which in turn have attached at their outer ends U-shaped brackets 24 through which the outer ends of the shafts 22 eX- tend in order to properly support said outer ends of said shafts, said shafts being supported at their inner ends by the same being received .in sockets v25 provided on the plates 22. The opposite ends of the plates 23, brackets 24, and curved plates 26 arranged on the inner sides of the sidewalls of the boat are attached together by bolts 27 extending therethrough.

` Attached to the outer ends of the shafts 22 on the outside of the U-shaped brackets 24 are blades 28 adapted to act as paddle wheels when the shafts 20 are rotated. The manner of attaching the blades 28 is by splitting the outer ends of the shafts 22 in ES'TENTQFFICR order to receive said blades in said split portio-ns, and then passing a pin 29 through said shafts 2Q and blades 28.

:in operation, the party propelling the boat is seated on the rear seat 10 with each of his hands grasping one of the pivoted levers l1. By swinging said levers backward and forward the connecting links 13 and crank arms 14 will rotate the large sprocket gears carried by the shafts 15 which due to their vchain connection will rotate the small sprockets 20 and consequently rotate the blades or paddle wheels 28 which are rigidly carried by the same shafts as the small sprockets. When it is desired to propel the boat in a straight, forward direction both levers are operated simultaneously, and when the boat is to be turned from its straight, forward course, the lever on the opposite .side of the boat from the direction the boat is to be turned is alone'operated. It can thus be seen that the operation of the levers will control the direction of the boat, as well as propel the same.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new is:

' 1. A propelling `device for boats, comprising a pair of shafts pivotally supported on the gunwales of the boat, a sprocket gear carried by each of said shafts and arranged on the outside ofthe gunwales, a second pair of shafts one pivoted on each side of the boat adjacent the water line thereof, a second pair of sprockets one carried by each of sai-d second mentioned shafts, chains connesting said first mentioned sprockets to said second mentioned sprockets', a paddle wheel carried by each of said second mentioned shafts, and means for rotating said first mentioned shafts forl rotating said paddle Wheels.

2. A propelling device for boats, comprising a pair of shafts pivotally supported on the gunwales of the boat, a sprocket gear carried by each of said shafts and arranged on the outside of the gunwales, a second pair of shafts one pivoted on each side of the boat adjacent the water line thereof, a second pair of sprockets one carried by each of said second mentioned shafts, chains connecting said first mentioned sprockets to said second mentioned sprockets, a paddle wheel carried by each of said second mentioned shafts, a crank arm attached to each of said first mentioned shafts, a pair of levers pivotally connected to said boat at their lower ends, and a link connecting each of said levers to each of said crank arms for rotating said paddle wheels upon swinging movement of said levers.

3. A propelling' device for boats, comprising a pair of shafts pivotally supported on the opposite gunwales of the boat, a sprocket gear carried by each of said shafts on the outside of the gunwales, a pair of plates one arranged upon each side of said boat adjacent the water line thereof, each of said plates having a socket provided therein, a U-shaped bracket adapted to be attached to each of said plates at the opposite ends of said brackets, a second pair of shafts one arranged upon each side of said boat and each having one end thereof pivotally supported in said sockets on said plates while the opposite end thereof is pivotally supported by the shafts passing through the U-shaped brackets, a second lpair of gears one arranged upon each of said second mentioned shafts between said plates and U-sliaped brackets,` chains connecting said first mentioned sprockets to said second mentioned sprockets, a paddle wheel carried by each of said second mentioned shafts on the outside of said U- shaped brackets', and means for rotating said first mentioned shafts for rotating said paddle wheels.

In testimony whereo-f, I have affixed my .signature JOHN BAKER. 

